Show-case.



Ll W. WELCH.

SHOW CASE.

APPLICATION FILED Immo, 1912.

1,023,231 Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-BHBET 1.

| lll L. W.-WBLOH.

SHOW CASE. APPLICATION FILED TBB. 10, 1912.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLuMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. 'ASIHNGTQN LYMAN W. WELCH, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SHOW-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application led February 10, 1912. Serial No. 676,759.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, LYMAN WV. WELCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Show- Cases, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n show cases.

The invention relates particularly to that class of show cases for displaying garments on racks,- in which the racks are adapted to be withdrawn, or partially withdrawn, from the case and rotated to make the rack completely accessible.

The objects of this invention are, in a general way, to provide improved meansfor' protecting the glass of the show case from injury by a blow from the revolving rack.

Further objects and objects relating to details and economies of construction and operation will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means described in the following specification.

The invention is clearly deiined and pointed out in the claims.

A struct-ure which constitutes a preferred embodiment of my invention is fully illustrated in the .accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure I is a longitudinal detail sectional elevation of one of my improved show cases taken on a line corresponding to line 1 1y of Fig. II. Fig. II is a detail sectional plan view taken on a line corresponding to line 2 2 of Fig. I, the revolving rack being shown in full lines, and the carriage and certain of the devices and parts being indicated by dotted lines. Fig. III is an enlarged detail sectional plan taken on a line corresponding to line 3 8 of Figs. I and IV, the floor oists being omitted showing details of t-he carriage. Fig. IV is an enlarged detail sectional elevation taken on a line corresponding to line 4-4 of Figs. II and III. Fig. V is an enlarged detail sectional view, showing the guideways and ball races, taken on a line corresponding to line 5 5 of Fig.

III. Fig. VI is an enlarged detail sectional and side bars. Fig. VIII is a detail of a modified and simple form of the guard stop.

In the drawing, all sectional views' are taken looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section lines, and similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawing, the case 1 is of the usual oblong construction for this purpose, and is open at the front end where it is provided with doors 2 2 which open and preferably recede into the ways 3 3 when they are opened. The floor 4 of the case is supported on end joists 5 5 and centrallydisposed joist-s 6 6 spaced to form a recess 7 between the same. The floor is slotted at 8 transversely to the length of the case to permit the movement of the rack and carriage.

The rack 9 consists of a pair of parallel vcarrying bars 10 10 joined by cross arms 11 11 and provided with guards 12 12 at each end. The arms 11 11 are supported on posts 13 13, which are carried on opposite ends of the base bar or arm 14. This rack vis supported on the carriage 15 on which there is a fixed upright shaft 16 suitably secured therein, preferably by a drive fit. The base arm 14 is provided with and carries a vertical sleeve 17, which is preferably a drive lit into said arm. Between the sleeve and the vertical shaft- 16 is disposed a roller bearing 18. A thrust bearing is rovided for the lower end of the sleeve 1 consisting of thrust rings 19 and 20, between which is disposed a ball retainer or carrier 21 within which are bearing balls 22, as clearly appears from Fig. IV.

A washer or plate 23 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 16 by screw 24, and prevents the upward movement of the sleeve 17 and retains the parts effectively in position. A circular disk 25 is secured to the lower end of the sleeve 17 by a pair of oppositely-disposed keys 26, retained by set screws 27, so that the same rotates therewith. The disk 25 is provided with diametrically opposite peripheral notches 25 (see Fig. III).

Disposed on the carriage 15 is a lever 28 pivoted on fulcrum pin 29, urged'to-ward the disk 25 by the spring 31. On the lever 28 is a roller 30 disposed to engage the notches 25 for retaining the revolving part-s yieldingly in position, the particular relation of the parts to the rack clearly appearing in Fig. III. The purpose is to retain t-he rack in central position when moving out and into the case, and to prevent rotation when removing or hanging articles thereon.

Secured to the joists 6-6 at each side of the recess 7 are guideways 32, retained in position by bolts 33 therethrough. The guideways at each side are joined and properly spaced by the cross bars 32. Vert-ical bolts 33 extend through these parts and secure them to the oists 6 which are rabbeted to receive the same. Ball races 34 are formed inside these guideways, stop pins 32 being provided at the ends of these races. On the sides of the carriage 15 are also supported guide members 35 corresponding to the guideways 32, the same being provided with ball races 36 and being retained in position by screws 37, as clearly appears in Fig. V. Stop pins 35 are at the ends of these races. Balls 36 are in the said races and serve as a bearing means between the guide members. Ball retainers and spacers 36 are provided for the said balls. It will thus be seen that the reciprocating carriage 15 is carried on ball bearings and moves very freely and easily. Also, that the display rack is supported on a roller bearing with a ball thrust beneath, and consequently runs very evenly, and owing to the length of the bearing rollers 18, the rack is very firmly supported and yet revolves very freely and easily, except when it is engaged by the rollers 30 on the spring levers 28. When this occurs, however, comparatively light pressure will overcome the resistance, yet the same is retained with sucient rigidity to serve its purpose so far as hanging any article to be displayed is concerned, and to insure even carriage of the rack out and into the case. The easy action of these parts with a minimum of friction is important, and I have described the same in detail although these features are the subject of an independent concurrent patent application.

The guard 12 is extended upwardly at each cornerbf the rack at 42 and then horizontally at 43, outwardly to the lateral limit of the said guard, terminating in a handle 44 which constitutes a stop member for the rack, the handle being provided preferably with an annular enlargement 45 at the upper part, which serves as the actual contact portion of the said top. A reinforcing bar 46 of L-shaped angle bar is preferably placed in the upper back angle of the case, and serves as the stop plate for contact with the stop member 44.

In Fig. VIII I show the structure of this handle stop member modified, the stop bar being turned down at 47 to form a handle and also serves as the stop member. This is much simpler to construct than the preferred form and possibly for cheaped grades `of work will better serve the purpose.

It will thus be seen that if the rack is left to revolve freely, it will not be possible for the same to come in contact with the glass or finished walls of the show case, thus endangering the same, but the stop 44 at each corner of the rack will contact with the bar 46 or with the upper bar of the rear frame if the bar 46 is omitted and no damage will be done. This expedient will very rarely be brought into play for the reason that, owing to the anti-friction bearings made use of, the swinging of the `rack out of engagement with the retaining roller 30 in an accidental manner will seldom occur.

I have described my improved show case in the form preferred by me. I desire to state, however, that many of the details can be modified without departing from my invent-ion. While I have shown the entire framework on a short shaft 16, I am aware that this upright shaft can be lengthened, the posts 13-13 will be correspondingly shortened, or they may be omitted if the shaft 16 is made tall enough. This feature is so clear that I have not attempted to make illustration of the same, because I do not care to claim the taller shaft specifically. I desire to claim the structure precisely as I have shown it, and also to claim the same broadly as po-inted out in the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a show case of the class described, the combination of a suitable oblong case open at one side, suitable doors for said case, a carriage, an oblong revoluble rack within the case and corresponding thereto, comprising side bars and end guards, and a vertical pivotal support for said rack on said carriage, arms projecting from the opposite ends of said guards at each corner of said rack with downwardly projecting stop members at their outer end s adapted to serve as handles, and an L-shaped angle bar disposed in the upper rear corner vof the case beneath the top to coperate with said stop members to protect the finished or glazed parts of said case from cont-act with said rack, as specified.

2. In a show case of the class described, the combinat-ion of a suitable oblong case open at one side, a carriage, an oblong revoluble rack on said carriage within the case and corresponding thereto, comprising side bars and end guards, and arms projecting from the opposite ends of said guards at each corner of said rack with downwardly projecting stop members at their outer ends adapted to serve as handles, as specied.

3. In a show case of the class described, the combination of a suitable oblong lcase open at one side, a carriage, an oblong revoluble rack inovable With said carriage to In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set and from a position Within the oase and cormyrf hand and seal in the presence of two responding thereto, comprising side bars Witnesses.

and end guards, and arms projecting from LYMAN W. WELCH. [Ls] the opposite ends of said guards at each cor- Witnesses:

ner of said rack With stop members at their LUELLA Gr. GREENFIELD,

outer ends, as specified. MARGARET L. GLASGOW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

